Marine sky beam signaling device



May 5, 1942.

B. A. NOLAN MARINE SKY BEAM SIGNALING DEVICE Filed Oct. 7, 1939 2Sheets-Sheet 1 26 5 477mm? y y 5, 4 B. A. NOLAN 2,281,986

MARINE SKY BEAM SIGNALING DEVICE Filed Oct. 7, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2/WVf/VTO? 56 mm. A a/m7 x713 Array/var Patented May 5, 1942 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE MARINE SKY BEAM SIGNALING DEVICE Benjamin A. Nolan,Stillwater, Minn.

Application October 7, 1939, Serial No. 298,476

6 Claims.

My invention relates to new and novel marine life saving means and moreparticularly to a floating self-signaling means as a position 10- catorof the point of a sea disaster.

My invention further resides in a simple manufacture, as a floatingsignal means, which sends an illuminated beam skyward at the locationalpoint of a disaster.

My invention further resides in a simple marine sky beam signalingdevice which provides a water tight, air sealed compartment for thecarrying of disaster records or the ship's log, passenger list or allcombined.

My invention further resides in a simple marine sky beam signalingdevice which can be manually operated and controlled or whichautomatically when immersed, starts a beam signal through itsself-contained moisture expanding switch.

My invention further resides in the construction which is morespecifically described and the novelty of the same herein is furthermorepointed out in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a direct top view of my invention;

Figure 2 is a one-half side View of my invention showing a quarter insection along the lines of 2-2 of Figure 1 and showing a section throughthe moisture expanding switch;

Figure 3 is a side View of my invention showing the back of the moistureexpanding switch;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the moisture expanding switch from therear;

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the moisture expanding switch from thecontact controlling side;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of an alternate method of construction of amoisture expanding switch through which manual contact can be readilymade with ease;

Figure 7 is a section taken on the line of l'! of Figure 6 of thealternate moisture expanding switch;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the locking plunger, and,

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the interior tube showing the lockingslots for the retention of the locking plunger disc.

In referring to the drawings, A represents a water-tight air-containedfloat which is provided with a series of screw threading of which Iaffords a holding and a retaining means for an outer water-tightcompartment B for the retention of the ships data, log, history or othernotations of disaster.

The container B is spaced apart from the float member A by means of acompressible packing 2 positioned well. above the retaining means forthe outer compartment and provides an additional air chamber 3 about thefloat A. The chamber B is further provided with a removable cover 4which when made fast atop the chamber B compresses the gaskets 5 and 6to make the outer chamber B air tight and render the compartment withinwater-proof.

The chamber A is further provided with side tie straps I made fast tothe exterior periphery of the chamber A by holding or fastening means 8so that the entire unit signaling means may be attached to life saversor bit of wreakage, yet permitting the signaling assembly to submergeits bottom structure below a water line C.

In the direct center of the float there is provided an orifice 9 intowhich is positioned an electric dry cell beam light D permitting itslens L to point skyward. The beam light D is provided with the usualreflector E and electric light F with its cooperating electric socket Gand likewise with the usual dry cells H whose electric current isenclosed within the compartment of the beam light D.

The beam light D is held positioned by a series of threadings H on theside of the casing containing the batteries and these threadingscooperatewith a holding series of threadings l2 =2 within the orifice 9and near the base of the The casing of beam light D is provided with aswitch holding and supporting band [3 so as to sustain the expandingswitch compartment l4 to one side of the beam light casing. Theexpanding switch compartment I4 is an enclosed compartment packed with awater expanding element l5 and which expands when contacted by moistureadmitted through the orifice 16 so as to push moveable the inner contactclosure I! out against the switch contact controls.

The moveable inner closure member ll is springly connected to and madefast at the bottom of the expanding switch compartment by a downwardextending bracket I 8 held positioned by the holding means l9 so as toseal the compartment to the water expanding materials. The downwardextending bracket l8 likewise supports a companion spring member 20which is spaced apart at its base fastening means l9 by the spacer 2|.The members I1 and 20 being spaced apart by the spacer 2| form a Ushaped construction for the saddled rocking contact suspension of theswitch contact control S.

The switch contact control S is transversely positioned between twoprojecting and aligning fingers 23 and 24 protruding from the top of theexpanding switch compartment |4 so as to guide and operatively positionthe switch contact control S and. its saddle supporting element 25 torest astride the spring member 20.

The switch control S is likewise fitted with a contact point P whichwhen the moisture expanding material within the expanding switchcompartment |4 kicks out the spring sustaining inner closure member |1so as to pushupon the switch contact control S, it will cooperate withthe contact point Q positioned upon the peripheral band 25 and hold thesame in locked contact. Through an orifice in the casing of the beamlight D, an electrical connection X is made inwardly under the band andcontact points Q. The electrical connection X entirely insulated fromthe batteries and within the casing terminates in the electricconnection with the socket G for the illumination of the light F throughthe closed circuit electricity generated by the batteries H within thebeam light caseD. I V

The batteries H enclosed within the casing of the beam light D andplaced atop each other permits one side of the electric circuits storedenergy HI to be transmitted-to the battery housing or casing H3 whilethe uppermost H is in direct contact with the contact point PI of theelectric light F resting in the socket G.

The energy transmitted through the battery casing H3 is insulatedfrom'contact by the batteries peripheral insulator H4 thus sealing anypossible shortage of electric energy from within.

The energy to be expended by the batteries is transmitted at the lowestpoint of the beam light casing D outward through an insulated contactpoint 21 to the exteriorconductor 28 and then transmitted to the contactconnection 29 upon the sustaining band l3 supporting the expandingswitch compartment |4 permitting the same to make contact at will.

In the alternate moisture expanding switch, the

I switch holding and supporting band 3 encompasses thecylindricaliexpanding switch tube 30 while the, conductor band 26 isprovided with a bracket 250;- which supports the contact point Qoperatively functioning the same as previously described.

The cylindrical casing 30 of'the moisture 'expanding switch is providedwith a top closure 3| and provided with an opening permitting theplunger 32 to pass through the same and sustaining same in slidableposition. The lower portion of the cylindrical casing is equipped with aknurled screw closure. 33 held positioned by threaded connection 34 tothe inner wall of the exterior tube 30.

' The plunger 32 is equipped at a predetermined.

point with a rigidly positioned piston 35 which has lock lugs 36provided upon its sides. cylindrical chamber 30 of the moistureexpandingswitch is further provided with an interior cylindrical chamber31 which at its uppermost ends are provided with lock lug guides 38 andarresting means 39 for the lock lugs. The lower end of the shaft 32 isprovided with a threading 40 upon which is made fast a. knurled thumbscrew 4|. 1

In the assembling of this unit, a tension spring 42 is provided at thetop end of the inner tube 31 to hold compressed the various discs l5made of moisture expanding material. Both the inner and outercylindrical chambers housing the moisture expanding materialareperforated with device comprising a buoyant body supporting The pocketswould permit free floating of the marine life saving sky beam signalingdevice upon the complete submersion of the pocket containing saidappliance. Should an accident befall a ship and should the ship sink atsea, these marine signaling beam devices, would, because of theirair-tight compartments and their automatic releasement from theirresting position float upon the waters and the bobbing about of the saidmarine sky beam signaling device, because of the wave motion, wouldspasmodically send a light beam Skyward.

In the second case the operation of the assembly would permit manualoperation by a pressure upon the knurled head 4| to compress the tensionspring 42 causing the plunger 32 to rise upward and contact the point Qwhich through its bracket 26a and 26 would complete the circuit from theholding band l3 which is the termination of the other side of thecircuit and cause a signal beam to any pointed direction.

In the automatic operation, or floating operation of the cylindricaltype of moisture expanding switch, the holes 43 expand and the moistureexpanding material |5 within theinner casing,

causes the piston 35 to compress the tension spring 42 and raise'theshaft 32 to contact the point Q thus completing the circuit while in theoriginal case the moisture would enter through the orifice |5to expandthe moisture expanding element and obtain the same contact results.Should it be desired with the cylindrical type that after a specificlength of time to make beam light inactive, the shaft 32 with itsrigidly fastened piston 35 may be pulled back againstith'e moistureexpanded elements l5 and compress the knurled head 4| and its shaft 32with its piston 35 may be rotated so that the lugs 36 which normallyhave slid up and down in guides 38 may be rotated sideways so that thelugs 36 would register and lock in the side guide arresting means 39 andhold piston 35 in compressing locked position thus expelling moisturethrough the orifice 33.. The same may be unlocked when dry by a slightturn so as to release the lugs 36 from their locking position in 39-andmanual operation of the beam light can again proceed.

I claim: 7

1. In a floating marine sky beam signaling batteries, an electric signallamp held atop said buoyant body, an electric circuit normally held openconnecting the batteries and the signal lamp; a switch for said electriccircuit comprising a body member adapted to be attachedto the buoyantbody, moisture expanding material held within said body member, ayieldable closure member yieldably positioned in said body member, aswitch contact point carried upon said yieldable body closure member,said body member being formed with a hole to allow moisture to entersaid body member to expand the moisture expanding material so as topress against the yieldable closure member with its switch contact pointto close said electric circuit.

means for compressing the expanded material to reset said switch, andmeans to lock the switch after expulsion of moisture, from the moistureabsorbent material.

4. In an electrical device including an electrical circuit and a buoyantelement supporting the same, a switch for the electrical circuitcomprising a body member adapted to be attached to the buoyant body,said body member having moisture transmission means through whichmoisture may seep into said body member, moisture expanding materialheld within said body member, a yieldable element within said bodymember in cooperable relation with said moisture expanding material tobe operated thereby and movable with respect to said body member, aswitch contact point carried by said yieldable element, and a cooperablecontact point on said body member engageable with said contact on saidyieldable element when said yieldable element is moved by expansion ofsaid moisture expanding material.

5. A switch for use in combination with a buoyant body comprising a bodymember secured to the buoyant body and having moisture transmissionmeans through which moisture may seep into said body member, a yieldableclosure thereupon, a moisture expanding material within said body memberin cooperable relation to said closure to actuate said closure, acontact point carried by said yieldable closure and movable therewith,and a cooperable contact point in fixed relation to said body member,said moisture expanding material operating upon contact with moisture tomove said yieldable closure and to force said contacts together.

6. A switch comprising a body member having moisture transmission meansthrough which moisture may seep into said body member, a yieldableclosure on said member, moisture expandable material in said body memberin cooperable relation with said closure to actuate said closure, acontact secured to said yieldable closure and movable therewith, and acooperable contact secured in fixed relation to said body member, themoisture expanding material operating upon expansion and contraction toactuate said closure to make or break the contact between said contactpoints.

BENJAMIN A. NOLAN.

